1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to registers, and more particularly to a circular calculator for determining the time at which a golfer should have finished a particular hole on a golf course.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The popularity of golf has increased dramatically over the past decade. This increase in popularity has had many positive effects on the sport and several negative effects. One of the negative effects is the overcrowding of public and private golf courses. In an attempt to allow equal access to as many players as possible, many golf course managers have instituted polices which regulate the amount of time that a golfer may spend on a particular hole. The PGA has implemented a four hour schedule for an 18 hole course. In a similar fashion, many public and private courses have adopted this standard or a more lenient four and a half hour standard.
One problem with incorporating such a standard is that the golfer must be aware of where he is on the golf course with respect to time. This requires a mathematical calculation for each hole. As is obvious, this calculation may be accomplished by a calculator or by mental process. The use of a calculator is inappropriate on a golf course since weather conditions may vary. Also, a calculator may be damaged if used during a light drizzle. Turning now to the mental process, an additional burden will be placed upon the golfer each time they need to determine their progress. Additionally, there would be no substantive way to prove to a golf course official that the golfer is on time. Thus, there is a need for a device to compute hole times in an accurate, economical and efficient fashion.
In the past, computation of time intervals has been conducted by circular calculators. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,025,625 (Tucker) discloses a device for computing and indicating time intervals of fertility. The device comprises a circular calendar disk which has a peripheral band portion, a calendar portion, and a center portion. The calendar portion is defined by five concentric circles which are further divided by radial lines and thus forming a plurality of arc segments which are 1/62 of the circumference of each concentric circle. Four of the five concentric circles correspond to months having 31, 30, 29 and 28 days, respectively. A plurality of radially extending arms are disposed on the disk. The arms are spaced at predetermined arcuate distances from each other corresponding to 11 day periods on the 31 day circle. By adjusting the first arm to the day of menstruation, a user may determine periods of fertility/infertility by the arcuate segments that are defined between the arms and the five concentric circles. This patent was selected as being indicative of all fertility computing devices utilizing a disk for computation. Other examples of patented fertility timing devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,076,242 (Marquis); 2,098,622 (Gronvold); and 1,942,754 (Heyssler).
Disk computers have been utilized in determining time intervals between work periods. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,280,591 (Tuttle) discloses a time computer which is utilized to determine the elapsed time between the beginning and ending of a continuous work period. Further U.S. patents related to work time interval determination include U.S. Pat. No. 1,414,855 (Bishop) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,698 (Maluf).
Disk computers have been used in various other applications. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,076,680 (Leonard) discloses the determination of transit times on a railway system by the use of a disk computer. Other examples of U.S. patents include U.S. Pat. No. 1,171,753 (Serrell) which discloses the determination of time between arrival and departure from a hotel via a disk computer; U.S. Pat. No. 1,277,723 (Hill) which discloses the determination of time elapsed between two dates; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,371 (Rogers) discloses a diving depth computer.
Disk computers have also been used in the golfing field. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,485,191 (Culver) discloses a golf score indicator which comprises a first disk having three radial bands; a second disk disposed concentrically with the first disk and having two windows; and a radial arm attached at the center of both disks. The first band represents the number of holes that the golfer is up or down. The second band includes numbers 35 to 55 printed thereon. The third band includes numbers 80 to 100 printed thereon. In operation, the golfer aligns the second disk so that the par for the first 9 and 18 holes are visible through the windows. As the golfer plays, he moves the radial arm to indicate whether he is up or down on strokes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,806,650 (Mead) and 3,627,200 (Sadler) disclose handicap computers which comprises two concentric circles having indicia whose relative alignment is utilized to develop a handicap for a golfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,093 (Braly) discloses a disk calculator which is used in determining frequently matched sets of golf clubs. On a first disk is indicia which represents flexibility and vibration frequency of a shaft. Disposed concentrically with and above the first disk are a plurality of disks which have indica indicative of club swing weight, club length, hosel length, tip insertion depth, etc. Other examples of U.S. patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,363,836 (Lee) and 3,744,714 (Banner) which disclose circular computers used in determining what golf club to use for a particular distance shot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,448 (Smith) discloses a putting stroke calculator which comprises a plurality of concentric circles having indica thereon.
As may be seen, the use of disk computers or calculators is known in the golfing art but applicant is unaware of any disk computer which is designed to provide an indication of where the golfer should be, with respect to time, on a golf course. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of disk computers, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for an interest in improvements to and new applications for such disk computers, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.